sus ainabili y
Re iew
Using Mobile De ices o Imp o ing Lea ning
Ou comes and Teache s’ P o essionaliza ion
Inmaculada Ga cía-Ma ínez 1, JoséMa ía Fe nández-Ba ane o 2,* , Da id Cobos Sanchiz 3and
An onio Luque de la Rosa 4
1Depa men o Pedagogy, Uni e si y o Jaén, 23071 Jaén, Spain; [email p o ec ed]
2Depa men o Didac ics and School O ganiza ion, Uni e si y o Se ille, 41013 Se ille, Spain
3Depa men o Educa ion and Social Psychology, Uni e si y o Pablo de Ola ide, 41013 Se ille,
Spain; [email p o ec ed]
4Depa men o Educa ion, Uni e si y o Alme ia, 04120 Alme ía, Spain; [email p o ec ed]
*Co espondence: [email p o ec ed]; Tel.: +34-955420595
Recei ed: 31 Oc obe 2019; Accep ed: 2 Decembe 2019; Published: 5 Decembe 2019

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Abs ac :
Teaching in highe educa ion is changing due o he in luence o echnology. Mo e and mo e
echnological ools a e eplacing old eaching me hods and s a egies. Thus, mobile de ices a e being
posi ioned as a key ool o new ways o unde s anding educa ional p ac ices. The p esen pape
esponds o a sys ema ic e iew abou he bene i s ha mobile de ices ha e o uni e si y s uden s’
lea ning. Using inclusion and exclusion c i e ia in he Web o Science and Scopus da abases, 16 a icles
we e selec ed o a gue why Mobile lea ning (Mlea ning) has become a mode n inno a i e app oach.
The esul s poin o an imp o emen in s uden s’ lea ning h ough Mlea ning,
ac o s ha
encou age
he use o mobile de ices in uni e si ies ha e been iden i ied, and e ec i e mobile applica ions in
imp o ing eaching and lea ning p ocesses ha e been p esen ed. The inclusion o his me hodology
equi es a new ole o eache s, whose cha ac e iza ion is also speci ied.
Keywo ds:
mobile lea ning; s uden cen e ed lea ning; Mobile APP; uni e si y s uden s;
highe educa ion
1. In oduc ion
Se e al s udies ha e poin ed o he bene i s o using educa ional echnology o eaching and
lea ning p ocesses a all educa ional s ages, pa icula ly in highe educa ion. In ac , au ho s such as
Concannon, Flynn, and Campbell (2005) [
1
] ha e wa ned ha sys ems based on e-lea ning ha e led o
g ea e changes in eaching me hods and me hodologies. The e o e, he eshaping o ins uc ional
and echnological s a egies in educa ional ins i u ions is e iden . Also, he e is wide ag eemen
ha eache s mus be well p epa ed o ace educa ion challenges om his app oach. In his ega d,
au ho s such as Aus
í
n, Abella, Delgado, and Ho igüela (2016) [
2
] sugges ha , in o de o op imize
he oppo uni ies o e ed by in o ma ion and communica ion echnologies (ICT), eache s should
be p epa ed o upda e hei eaching p ac ices. Ins uc ional p ocesses mus i he demands o he
Knowledge Socie y. This is why he e is a s ong demand o eache aining in echnological skills,
o build hei own pedagogical ( echnological) esou ces and espond o s uden s’ needs, while also
mo i a ing hem o de elop au onomy and analy ical hough skills o lea ning [
3
]. This challenge
in ol es changing eaching me hodology and new eaching-lea ning models in o de o imp o e he
aining s anda ds used by socie y in se e al ields o educa ional aining [4].
Speci ically, mobile lea ning is a ela i ely new phenomenon ha has g own widely in he
las ew yea s. Many s udies ha e ocused on wha a e hei ac ual bene i s [
5
], he pedagogical
possibili ies hey o e [
6
], and he willingness o s uden s and eache s o wo k unde he umb ella
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917; doi:10.3390/su11246917 www.mdpi.com/jou nal/sus ainabili y
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 2 o 12
o his me hodology [
7
,
8
]. S udies ha e also been ca ied ou wi h he implemen a ion o he use
o mobile lea ning in highe educa ion, which iden i ied a se o ac o s classi ied in o se en main
ca ego ies [
9
]—ease o use, us , cha ac e s and pe sonal quali ies, con ex , pe cei ed use ulness o
use, beha io al in en ionali y, and use cul u e o a esea ch model.
A ecen s udy on ends in mobile lea ning [
10
] using a e iew o he 100 mos ci ed mobile
lea ning documen s e ealed ha s udies ocused mo e hea ily on compa ing di e en mobile lea ning
pa hways o ind mo e e ec i e mobile lea ning app oaches a he han compa ing he e ec s o mobile
lea ning wi h adi ional ins uc ion. In addi ion, he s udies ocused mo e on lea ne s’ highe hinking
pe o mance and hei lea ning beha io s. O he pape s ha e highligh ed he ocus on esea ch and
ends in mobile lea ning om he analysis o educa ional pa en s [
11
], whe e i is ound ha mo e
a e inclined o p o ide pe sonalized, con ex ualized, easily e ie able, au o-upda ed, and in elligen
pushed lea ning con en .
When alking abou mobile de ices and hei close ela ionship wi h he eaching-lea ning
inno a ion, he signi icance o mobile applica ions (apps) as use ul ools in he achie emen and
acquisi ion o speci ic lea ning canno be o e looked. In he wo ds o L
ó
pez-He n
á
ndez and
Sil a-P
é
ez [
12
], “ he apps a e agile and in ui i e and wi h a e y b ie lea ning cu e ha makes hem
mo o s o speci ic lea ning p ocesses” (p. 177). In his ega d, one o he main in e es s o he p esen
s udy is he iden i ica ion o some e ec i e APPs o he de elopmen o lea ning expe iences in highe
educa ion. Acco ding o men ioned and o wha we know abou his a ea o s udy, we conside he
answe s o he ollowing ques ions (Q1, Q2, and Q3)
•Q1. Wha ac o s posi i ely in luence Mlea ning o imp o e uni e si y s uden s’ lea ning?
•Q2. Wha mobile applica ions a e used o imp o e s uden lea ning in highe educa ion?
•Q3. Wha is he eache s’ ole o embed Mlea ning in highe educa ion?
Based on he hypo hesis ha mobile de ices imp o e uni e si y s uden s’ lea ning and he
conside a ion o Mlea ning as a mode n inno a i e app oach, he ollowing esea ch objec i es ha e
been iden i ied:
•Iden i y ac o s ha in luence Mlea ning imp o emen in uni e si y s uden s.
•Iden i y mobile applica ions ha gua an ee he imp o emen o uni e si y s uden s’ lea ning.
•Cla i y he eache s’ ole in he 21s cen u y when using Mlea ning.
2. Ma e ials and Me hods
The me hod used is sys ema ic li e a u e e iew (SLR). This is cha ac e ized by seeking ele an
in o ma ion in o de o iden i y, assess, and in e p e he a ailable in es iga ions o answe esea ch
ques ions abou he ma e o conce n [
13
]. This p ocess is igo ous and i is essen ial o ha e con ol
o e he opic o be in es iga ed in o de o conside he quali y o he s udies, o summa ize he
cu en e idence ega ding any ea men o echnology, o iden i y sho comings in he s udy, o o
sugges a new heo e ical amewo k conce ning his a ea o esea ch [14].
Thep ocedu e ollowedin hiss udyisconsis en wi h hePRISMAguidelines o hede elopmen
o sys ema ic e iews [
15
]. The PRISMA checklis has 32 i ems [
16
] ha should be conside ed as
selec ion c i e ia and analysis o he a icles ound. F om p ocesses o iden i ica ion,
e alua ion and
in e p e a ion o scien i ic pape s abou he s udy a ea [
17
], ele an in es iga ions ha e been iden i ied
in he ield o social lea ning, mobile de ices, and he use o ICTs. Mo e speci ically,
he pu pose
o his
pape is o p o ide a comp ehensi e iew o he bene i s o p omo ing Mlea ning among eache s o he
es ablishmen o new pa hs o educa ional and inno a i e me hods ha enable high-quali y educa ion.
2.1. Sou cing S a egy
Fo his pu pose, we ini ia ed a comp ehensi e sea ching in he Web o Science (WoS) and Scopus
da abases in Augus /Oc obe 2019. The ollowing keywo ds, ex ac ed om ERIC, we e in oduced in o
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 3 o 12
he b owse s: “Mobile Educa ional Se ices,” “Highe Educa ion,” “Facul y De elopmen ,” “Mobile
Educa ion,” “S uden Cen e ed Lea ning,” “Mobile APP,” “Technologies,” “Uni e si y S uden s,”
and “Mobile Lea ning.”
2.2. Eligibili y C i e ia
Inclusion c i e ia speci ied o ensu e he ele ance, cu en ness, and pe inence o he pape was o
es ic o a icles published in he 2009–2019 pe iod. A e his ini ial choice and elimina ing duplica es
a icles, he numbe o pape s was 323—102 in WOS and 221 in Scopus. The nex igu e (Figu e 1)
de ails he p ocess ollowed he popula ion and sample o he s udy.
Sus ainabili y 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 o 11
Fo his pu pose, we ini ia ed a comp ehensi e sea ching in he Web o Science (WoS) and
92
Scopus da abases in Augus /Oc obe 2019. The ollowing keywo ds, ex ac ed om ERIC, we e
93
in oduced in o he b owse s: “Mobile Educa ional Se ices,” “Highe Educa ion,” “Facul y
94
De elopmen ,” “Mobile Educa ion,” “S uden Cen e ed Lea ning,” “Mobile APP,” “Technologies,”
95
“Uni e si y S uden s,” and “Mobile Lea ning.”
96
2.2. Eligibili y C i e ia
97
Inclusion c i e ia speci ied o ensu e he ele ance, cu en ness, and pe inence o he pape was
98
o es ic o a icles published in he 2009–2019 pe iod. A e his ini ial choice and elimina ing
99
duplica es a icles, he numbe o pape s was 323—102 in WOS and 221 in Scopus. The nex igu e
100
(Figu e 1) de ails he p ocess ollowed he popula ion and sample o he s udy.
101
102
Figu e 1. Dis ibu ion om 2009 o 2019. 103
In o de o add ess he sys ema iza ion o he p ocess, inclusion and exclusion c i e ia we e
104
iden i ied, he eby dec easing he sample size o he s udy o mee he esea ch objec i es. The ini ial
105
c i e ia we e (1) esea ch a ea, (2) language, (3) ype o publica ion, (4) sample, and (5) ype o
106
e idence.
107
Only a icles included wi hin “Social Sciences” we e included. Subsequen ly, he language
108
c i e ia was applied, including only a icles published in English and Spanish. G ey li e a u e
109
(communica ions, con e ence abs ac s o doc o al heses) we e no conside ed. The ocus o he
110
s udy was placed on in es iga ions ela ed o he ield o educa ion, including exclusi ely hose
111
included in he a eas o Social Sciences, Educa ion, and Educa ional Resea ch. A e applying he
112
ini ial sc eenings, o he mo e speci ic ones we e applied in o de o ensu e he pe inence he pape s
113
o he p e-es ablished esea ch ques ions. Thus, we selec ed a icles ha p o ided empi ical e idence
114
o showed a ele an e iew o he s udy pu pose, whose sample o pa icipan s we e uni e si y
115
s uden s o bo h s uden s and eache s, o ha de eloped APPs o ge an imp o emen o educa ional
116
p ocesses.
117
2.3. The Selec ion P ocess
118
The p ocess was cha ac e ized by a i s eading whe e he ocus was placed on he i le and
119
abs ac o each pape . Consequen ly, he second eading ocused on examining me hod, indings,
120
and conclusions. The aim was o ensu e consis ency be ween bo h hei indings and how hey we e
121
linked o he scope o his e iew s udy—mobile de ices, e-lea ning, educa ional echnology, and
122
2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
WOS 454468919131416
SCOPUS 5 6 8 10 14 22 26 25 34 43 28
SAMPLE 00001033423
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
Figu e 1. Dis ibu ion om 2009 o 2019.
In o de o add ess he sys ema iza ion o he p ocess, inclusion and exclusion c i e ia we e
iden i ied, he eby dec easing he sample size o he s udy o mee he esea ch objec i es. The ini ial
c i e ia we e (1) esea ch a ea, (2) language, (3) ype o publica ion, (4) sample, and (5) ype o e idence.
Only a icles included wi hin “Social Sciences” we e included. Subsequen ly, he language c i e ia
was applied, including only a icles published in English and Spanish. G ey li e a u e (communica ions,
con e ence abs ac s o doc o al heses) we e no conside ed. The ocus o he s udy was placed on
in es iga ions ela ed o he ield o educa ion, including exclusi ely hose included in he a eas o
Social Sciences, Educa ion, and Educa ional Resea ch. A e applying he ini ial sc eenings, o he mo e
speci ic ones we e applied in o de o ensu e he pe inence he pape s o he p e-es ablished esea ch
ques ions. Thus, we selec ed a icles ha p o ided empi ical e idence o showed a ele an e iew
o he s udy pu pose, whose sample o pa icipan s we e uni e si y s uden s o bo h s uden s and
eache s, o ha de eloped APPs o ge an imp o emen o educa ional p ocesses.
2.3. The Selec ion P ocess
The p ocess was cha ac e ized by a i s eading whe e he ocus was placed on he i le
and abs ac o each pape . Consequen ly, he second eading ocused on examining me hod,
indings, and conclusions
. The aim was o ensu e consis ency be ween bo h hei indings and how
hey we e linked o he scope o his e iew s udy—mobile de ices, e-lea ning, educa ional echnology,
and s uden achie emen . La e , a double de ailed eading o he manusc ip s by wo di e en expe s
ook place, inc easing he eliabili y and alidi y o he sys ema ic e iew [18].
Finally, o da a analysis and ex ac ion, we ca ied ou a logical o de compa ison o da a
and also syn hesized all in o ma ion ob ained o achie e a u h ul and cu en s udy, h ough he
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 4 o 12
p epa a ion o each a icle ile. The iden i ying ea u es o he i ems aken as e e ence we e he
ollowing: (1) au ho /s, (2) yea o publica ion, (3) ype o s udy, (4) popula ion, (5) sample, and (6)
echniques and ins umen s used.
2.4. Popula ion and Sample
A e he p ocedu e desc ibed abo e, we ge a popula ion o 323 i ems, included in WOS and
Scopus da abases, being 102 and 221, espec i ely. A e apply inclusion c i e ia, au ho s ca ied
ou a second le el o analysis, by examining whole manusc ip s and assessing hei ele ance o he
p oposed esea ch objec i es. Finally, he sample is made up o 16 a icles (Figu e 2).
Sus ainabili y 2019, 11, x FOR PEER REVIEW 11 o 11
s uden achie emen . La e , a double de ailed eading o he manusc ip s by wo di e en expe s
123
ook place, inc easing he eliabili y and alidi y o he sys ema ic e iew [18].
124
Finally, o da a analysis and ex ac ion, we ca ied ou a logical o de compa ison o da a and
125
also syn hesized all in o ma ion ob ained o achie e a u h ul and cu en s udy, h ough he
126
p epa a ion o each a icle ile. The iden i ying ea u es o he i ems aken as e e ence we e he
127
ollowing: (1) au ho /s, (2) yea o publica ion, (3) ype o s udy, (4) popula ion, (5) sample, and (6)
128
echniques and ins umen s used.
129
2.4. Popula ion and Sample
130
A e he p ocedu e desc ibed abo e, we ge a popula ion o 323 i ems, included in WOS and
131
Scopus da abases, being 102 and 221, espec i ely. A e apply inclusion c i e ia, au ho s ca ied ou
132
a second le el o analysis, by examining whole manusc ip s and assessing hei ele ance o he
133
p oposed esea ch objec i es. Finally, he sample is made up o 16 a icles (Figu e 2).
134
135
Figu e 2. Sample selec ion lowcha . 136
3. Resul s
137
3.1. Iden i ica ion o Selec ed Publica ions
138
Based on he me hodology used, he e a e h ee ypes o a icles—(a) quan i a i e, whe e
139
esea che s use me hods, echniques, and ins umen s o desc ibe o p edic he phenomenon, based
140
on s a is ical analysis; (b) quali a i e, whe e esea che s use echniques and ins umen s o ge a
141
be e unde s anding o he phenomenon; and (c) mixed, whe e esea che s use bo h quan i a i e and
142
quali a i e me hods, echniques and ins umen s o analyze, desc ibe, and unde s and he opic o
143
he s udy.
144
3.2. Cha ac e iza ion o he Included Publica ions
145
The i s classi ica ion used o ca ego ize a icles depends on hei me hod, iden i ying be ween
146
quan i a i e, quali a i e, and mixed a icles. Mos o he selec ed s udies end o use quan i a i e
147
Figu e 2. Sample selec ion lowcha .
3. Resul s
3.1. Iden i ica ion o Selec ed Publica ions
Based on he me hodology used, he e a e h ee ypes o a icles—(a) quan i a i e,
whe e esea che s
use me hods, echniques, and ins umen s o desc ibe o p edic he phenomenon,
based on
s a is ical analysis; (b) quali a i e,
whe e esea che s
use echniques and ins umen s o ge
a be e
unde s anding o he phenomenon; and (c) mixed, whe e esea che s use bo h quan i a i e
and quali a i e me hods, echniques and ins umen s o analyze, desc ibe, and unde s and he opic o
he s udy.
3.2. Cha ac e iza ion o he Included Publica ions
The i s classi ica ion used o ca ego ize a icles depends on hei me hod, iden i ying be ween
quan i a i e, quali a i e, and mixed a icles. Mos o he selec ed s udies end o use quan i a i e
me hodology. Howe e , we ound an in es iga ion whe e esea che s only use quali a i e me hods and
ano he cha ac e ized by he use o a mixed me hodology. Wi h ega d o he ype o s udy, we ha e
ound ha mos o he s udies a e ans e sal (10). Howe e , six o hem we e o longi udinal design
due o hei a achmen o speci ic p og ammes and expe imen al expe iences. Conce ning popula ion,
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 5 o 12
mos o he s udies ha e ocused on uni e si y s uden s due o ou ocus on pos -seconda y educa ion.
Howe e , some o he s udies also include eache s in hei sampling o ensu e a comp ehensi e
o e iew o he educa ional agen s in ol ed. The homogenei y ound in he s udies’ popula ions
implies cohe ence in he analysis o he eali y o he e ec i eness o Mlea ning in eaching/lea ning
p ocesses in highe educa ion. The a icles selec ed o be included among he sample o he sys ema ic
e iew ca ied ou a e desc ibed below, including hei mos signi ican iden i ying da a (Table 1).
Table 1. Cha ac e isa ion o he selec ed a icles.
Au ho (s) Yea Me hod * S udy Popula ion Sample Ins umen
Gan and Balak ishnan
2016 PP L S uden s 38 Q
Al omon e, Logan,
Feiss , Ru he o d,
and Wilson
2015 M L Uni e si y s a
and s uden s 1973 Q;I;E
Callaghan 2017 Quan L S uden s 1537 Q
Basan es, Na anjo,
Gallegos, and Bení ez 2017 Quan T Teache s and
s uden s 304 Q
Alenezi 2017 Quan T Teache s and
s uden s 501 Q
Lagos-Reinoso, Mo a
Ba zola,
Mejía-Caguana,
Peláez-López, and
Peláez-Lopez
2018 Quan T Teache s and
s uden s 140 Q
Huang, Chang, and
Wu 2016 PP L S uden s 100 Q; E
Khan, Abdou,
Ke unen, and
G ego y
2019 Qual T S uden s 16 I
Qi 2019 Quan T S uden s 208 Q
Hao, Cui, Dennen,
Tü el, and Mei 2017 Quan T S uden s 730 Q
López-He nández,
and Sil a-Pé ez 2016 Quan T S uden s 411 Q
Al huniba 2015 Quan T S uden s 250 Q
Miloše i´c, Zi ko ic,
Manasije ic and
Nikoli´c
2015 Quan T S uden s 280 Q
Deng, Ku, and Kong 2018 Quan T S uden s 79 Q
Budke, Pa chmann,
and Beeken 2019 Quan L S uden s 538 Q
Walke , Voce, and
Jenkins 2013 Quan L Uni e si ies 92 Q
No e: * Qual: Quali a i e; Quan: Quan i a i e; M: Mixed me hods; PP: p e es -pos es expe imen al app oach;
T: T ans e sal L: Longi udinal O: Obse a ion; Q: Ques ionnai e; I: In e iew; E: E alua ion Mobile App.
3.3. Desc ip ion o he Included Publica ions
The s udies included in his sys ema ic e iew sha e ce ain common cha ac e is ics: all o hem
ocus on he uni e si y en i onmen , analyze he posi i e impac o Mlea ning on he s uden s’ lea ning
p ocesses, and p o ide empi ical e idence. Many o hem ha e unde lined he posi i e e ec s o
using mobile de ices o imp o e communica ion in he class oom. O he s desc ibe he changes in

Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 6 o 12
ins uc ional p ocesses, based on expe ience wi h he c ea ion o an app. Indi ec ly, hey also analyze
new oles o uni e si y eache s a e he inclusion o echnological ools and e-lea ning and Mlea ning
sys ems. One s eng h o he esea ch is ha s udies om di e en coun ies ha e been selec ed,
hus p o iding an o e iew o he s a e o he issue wo ldwide.
Fo example, Gan and Balak ishnan’s esea ch [
19
] desc ibes a s udy ca ied ou in highe
educa ion class ooms using an in e ac i e mobile messaging applica ion (IMMAP). The In e ac i e
Mobile Messaging Accep ance model was used as a e e ence o analyse he de elopmen o he
willingness o 38 uni e si y s uden s o use he applica ion a e an expe imen . The esul s e eal
imp o emen s in communica ion in he class oom h ough a g ea e numbe and highe quali y o
in e ac ions, g ea e s uden commi men , and ac i e eedback ha p o ides mo e esponsibili y o
s uden s in he cons uc ion o hei lea ning. The s udy o Al omon e, Logan, Feiss , Ru he o d,
and Wilson [20]
is also o ien ed owa d imp o ing communica ion bu ocused on sus ainabili y
in highe educa ion, he pu pose o which was o explo e he oppo uni ies o e ed by in e ac i e
and si ua ed lea ning (e-lea ning and Mlea ning) o sus ainabili y in en i onmen al disciplines.
Con ex ualized in
a managemen
sys em and suppo ing a sus ainabili y ga eway in a mobile
applica ion, hey analyzed he impac o e-lea ning and Mlea ning ools o enhance compe ence
in he sus ainable educa ion o uni e si y s uden s. Th ough 1937 use s, he esul s aimed o
con i m he e ec i eness o his ype o ools, leading o imp o ed in e ac i e communica ion,
g ea e con ex ualiza ion o knowledge,
and g ea e
lexibili y while main aining he lea ning hy hm
o s uden s.
F om an in e disciplina y pe spec i e, Callaghan’s esea ch [
21
] analyzes he impac o mobile
applica ions in an educa ion li ing lab, in ol ing expe s om di e en disciplines—English,
ma hema ics, physics, chemis y, geog aphy, and mobile lea ning. The esea ch p o ides he
elemen s o collabo a i e esea ch o a p ojec called Mobile APP, which mobilized 744 pa icipan s
in he i s phase and 793 in he second, inding and assessing many mobile applica ions
h ough
an applica ion
e alua ion ool de eloped by hem, o subsequen educa ional applica ion.
Simila ly, Budke, Pa chmann
, and Beeken’s s udy [
22
] was loca ed in a science labo a o y.
F om a pilo
es wi h an expe imen al and con ol g oup, he esul s ound ha G eenLab_OS mobile had
a highe
po en ial o inc ease s uden s’ sel -concep , in e es , and enjoymen while dec easing he usual bo edom
and us a ion o he ins uc ional p ocesses.
The s udy o Basan es, Na anjo, Gallegos, and Ben
í
ez [
23
] was de eloped a he Uni e si y o
Ecuado wi h he pu pose o analyzing he pedagogical use o mobile de ices in highe educa ion.
Based on a ques ionnai e answe ed by 224 s uden s and 80 eache s, i was de e mined ha mobile
de ices imp o ed communica ion, al hough no all he pedagogical oppo uni ies hey o e ed we e
explo ed. Despi e inding ag eemen in poin ing o a posi i e a i ude owa d he use o mobile de ices
o educa ional pu poses, he e was no e ec i e in eg a ion o hem. In his ega d,
hey concluded
ha eache s need o be ained o include mobile echnology in hei educa ional p ac ices in o de o
“inco po a e mobile echnology in hei wo k as a suppo ool o he de elopmen o hei classes,
gene a ing an en i onmen o in e ac ion, coope a ion and collabo a ion. Howe e , i no used p ope ly,
hey can become a dis ac ion o lea ning” (p. 85).
Also in Ecuado bu loca ed in he Facul y o Philosophy, he in es iga ion o Lagos-Reinoso,
Mo a Ba zola
, Mej
í
a-Caguana, Pel
á
ez-L
ó
pez, and Pel
á
ez-Lopez [
24
] ound ha 97% o s uden s
and eache s used mobile de ices o academic pu poses, poin ing ou he bene i s o achie ing
pe sonalized and collabo a i e lea ning, o e coming bo h ime and space ba ie s. This is also he
case o Alenezi’s s udy [
25
], ca ied ou in Saudi A abia. I s objec i e was o analyze he di e ences
be ween he beha io o 204 uni e si y s uden s and 297 eache s who use e-lea ning h ough i e
c i e ia—du a ion,
use sa is ac ion
, ease o use, connec i i y, and he bene i s o e-lea ning and
Mlea ning. The esul s show ha s uden s ha e ease o use o hese educa ional ools, being awa e
o he bene i s hey gene a e o hei lea ning. Also, hey indica e ha mobile de ices encou age
sel -lea ning, inc easing hei mo i a ion. They also poin ou ha including hese lea ning s a egies
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 7 o 12
a ec s he eache ’s ole as
a men o
, guiding and supe ising s uden s as hey lea n. The s udy
de eloped by Huang,
Chang, and Wu [26]
(2017) ocused on mo i a ion and English lea ning in Taiwan.
Th ough he Supe Wo d King applica ion, hey concluded ha lea ning based on mobile games
is an e ec i e eaching me hod o ubiqui ous lea ning ac i i ies and English lea ning,
no ably o
ocabula y acquisi ion.
In con as o mos esea ch, Khan, Abdou, Ke unen, and G ego y’s s udy [
27
] used a quali a i e
me hodology o analyze he ways in which mobile de ices a e used o educa ional pu poses by
uni e si y s uden s in Bangladesh. I concluded ha s uden s know and unde s and he pedagogical
possibili ies o mobile de ices, iden i ying i e modali ies o use—media, he managemen o lea ning
esou ces, a ool o e ec i e lea ning, a way o collabo a i e lea ning, and c ea i i y. Qi’s s udy [
28
]
(2019) es ablished a compa a i e s udy be ween “pe o mance imp o emen ” and he s ess gene a ed
by he use o echnology, concluding ha Mlea ning does no gene a e echno-s ess bu a he p oduces
be e academic pe o mance. Fu he mo e, mos o he s uden s su eyed had sel -e icacy wi h
mobile echnology, an aspec ha educes echno-s ess.
Ano he o he s udies selec ed o he sys ema ic e iew p o ides a compa a i e s udy be ween
USA, China, and Tu key on mobile lea ning. F om a ques ionnai e o uni e si y s uden s om
hese coun ies, i was ound ha uni e si y s uden s ha e a posi i e a i ude owa d Mlea ning,
al hough many o hem ha e no expe ienced any expe imen a ion wi h he use o mobile de ices in
o mal educa ion. The s udy also poin ed ou he conside a ion o cul u al aspec s when designing
and implemen ing his eaching me hodology in o de o pe sonalize he ins uc ional p ocesses.
In u n
,
he lack
o suppo , mainly om eache s and he in as uc u e suppo ed by he ins i u ions,
a e iden i ied as he main limi a ions o ensu e i s success ul implemen a ion. The esea ch o
L
ó
pez-He n
á
ndez and Sil a-P
é
ez [
12
] in Spain, who analyzed how MLea ning was de eloped in
he uni e si y, is also pa o his app oach. I s esul s a e e y inspi ing, as hey indica e ha 75%
o uni e si y s uden s use mobile de ices o lea ning ac i i ies, hal o which a e used o speci ic
lea ning asks, ega dless o he esou ces p o ided by he uni e si y. Despi e hese good esul s and
he endency owa d sel -lea ning h ough echnological ools, he au ho s no e ha he use o a high
pe cen age o uni e si y s uden s educes o consul a ions in he e-lea ning pla o m, wi h no changes
in pedagogical me hodology.
The s udy by Al huniba [
29
] in Jo dan sough o iden i y he ac o s encou aging he use o
Mlea ning. Based on he “Technology Accep ance Model” (TAM), “Theo y o Reasoned Ac ion” (TRA),
and “Uni ied Theo y o Accep ance and Use o Technology” (UTAUT), he esul s poin o he need
o ake in o accoun he cha ac e is ics o s uden s when implemen ing mlea ning, in o de o i
hei cha ac e is ics. Beyond iden i ying ac o s ha s eng hen Mlea ning, he esea ch o Miloše i´c,
Zi ko ic, Manasije ic and Nikoli´c [
30
], a he Uni e si y o Belg ade, p o ides he esul s ob ained in
esea ch a e he applica ion o new echnologies, highligh ing Mlea ning as an inno a i e app oach
o uni e si y s uden s. I s esul s indica e ha ac o s such as he expec a ion o e o , he eache ’s
ole in p o iding e-lea ning s a egies, he in as uc u e, he quali y o se ice, and he inno a ion
abili y o he s a a ec he de elopmen and e ec i eness o Mlea ning. The bene i s o Mlea ning
a e imp o ing he o e all quali y o he lea ning p ocess and inc easing he s uden s’ mo i a ion and
sa is ac ion wi h he ins uc ional p ocess.
In u n, he s udy by Deng, Ku, and Kong [
31
] ocused on analyzing he possibili ies o mobile
de ices o pe o m mul i asking and imp o e communica ion in ins uc ional p ocesses,
inding ha
ins an messaging applica ions a e he mos used applica ion in he class oom.
Howe e , hey indica e
ha sys ema iza ion is a good way o mi iga e echnologies’ dis up i e impac on lea ning.
Finally, he s udy
by Walke , Voce, and Jenkins [
32
] p esen s he esul s o esea ch ca ied ou
in highe educa ion in he Uni ed Kingdom. In hei s udy, hey ound ha he de elopmen o
echnology imp o ed lea ning om a su ey o 92 uni e si ies. In i , hey analyze he educa ional
policies o implemen echnology, he implemen a ion o he TEL model and i s e ec i eness in
he uni e si y.
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 8 o 12
Acco ding o he selec ed in es iga ions, ce ain p inciples can be es ablished o cla i y he s a us
o Mlea ning in e na ionally. Fi s o all, i is obse ed ha mos o hem we e based on echnology
accep ance models (TAM) in o de o jus i y he achie ed esul s. In u n, simila app oaches ha e
been iden i ied when implemen ing educa ional p ojec s and p og ams ha embed echnological
esou ces and mobile de ices wi hin ins uc ional p ocesses. Mos o en, hei inclusion sough o
imp o e communica ion in he class oom and b eak down he space and ime ba ie s o asynch onous
lea ning modali ies. Analyzing hei deg ee o implemen a ion by a eas o knowledge, acco ding o he
esea ch, iden i ied he mos sui able a eas o include any mobile applica ion in hei class oom— o eign
languages, echnology, science, and ma hema ics. Howe e , expe iences wi h an in e disciplina y
na u e ha e also been iden i ied, whe e di e en a eas ha e coope a ed o achie e an in eg a ed
educa ion. Likewise, all he s udies included in he sys ema ic e iew ha e p aised he bene i s o he
use o Mlea ning, as long as a numbe o issues a e aken in o accoun . Pedagogical knowledge among
eache s o design ins uc ional p ocesses, whe e he use o mobile applica ions and o he echnological
esou ces can be i ed, is essen ial. No only will hey know a b oad numbe o applica ions o use,
bu hey
will also ha e a good unde s anding o hei eaching possibili ies o include hem e ec i ely
in he class oom. Rega ding he s uden s, all he in es iga ions ha e iden i ied a posi i e a i ude o
use he echnologies o didac ic pu poses. In addi ion, suppo ed by di e en models o accep ance
and expe iences, i has been shown ha uni e si y s uden s end o use hei mobile phones o access
knowledge. Howe e , i has become clea ha many o hem ha e no ye li ed uni e si y expe iences
whe e he use o Mlea ning has been ully in eg a ed. This widesp ead inexpe ience makes hem
unsu e o i s e ec i eness. Ano he poin o conside is he in as uc u es in ol ed and access o
mobile de ices o didac ic pu poses. As a esul o he selec ion o con ex ualized s udies in di e en
coun ies, i has been possible o iden i y ha uni e si y s uden s om coun ies whe e access o
a mobile
phone, o he In e ne , and in as uc u es a e mo e limi ed exhibi an unde de eloped
domain. In e ms o gende , i has no been possible o es ablish pa e ns o de e mine whe he he e is
equali y o hegemony o one gende o e ano he .
4. Discussion
The esul s ound in he sys ema ic e iew, as a esul o he 16 selec ed s udies, can be clus e ed
in o bene i s and ac o s ha encou age he use o Mlea ning in highe educa ion, iden i ica ion o
mobile applica ions o educa ional pu poses, and new oles o s uden s and eache s o assume new
concep ions abou ins uc ional p ocesses. One o he ac o s iden i ied as impo an o es ablishing
Mlea ning in highe educa ion is he inc ease in eache -s uden in e ac ions and he imp o emen
o communica ion in he class oom. This also has been iden i ied in o he s udies such as hose o
Nganji [3], asse ing ha he main use ha people make o mobile de ices is indeed communica ion.
Ag eeing wi h he indings ound, Mlea ning has been posi ioned as a ool ha ensu es
indi idualized and pe sonalized lea ning p ocesses [
33
], while s uden s de elop au onomy o build
hei own lea ning p ocesses [
34
]. The ease o use and amilia i y o mobile de ices be ween s uden s
and eache s is ano he ac o widely ag eed wo ldwide. In ac , mos in es iga ions ha e ocused
on analyzing and de eloping echnology accep ance models [
4
,
8
,
35
,
36
]. Rega ding he didac ic
possibili ies o e ed by mobile applica ions in highe educa ion, he e a e se e al s udies ha a gue o
hei use in he uni e si y, such as he s udy o C omp on and Bu ke [5].
Finally, in he e iew p esen ed, i has become clea how he oles o s uden s and eache s ha e
changedsubs an ially, as shownina sys ema ic e iewo simila cha ac e . In hisway,
s uden s assume
a mo e ac i e ole in building hei lea ning, gaining au onomy and esponsibili y [
6
,
37
].
On he
o he
hand, he eache mus assume a ole o guide and counsello , being necessa y ha he o she should
possess a echnological knowledge o mobile de ices, while also in eg a ing his o he pedagogical
knowledge in o de o es ablish he condi ions equi ed o os e eaching and lea ning p ocesses ha
i he demands o con empo a y socie y [38,39].
Sus ainabili y 2019,11, 6917 9 o 12
5. Conclusions
The pu pose o he sys ema ic e iew was o p o ide an o e iew abou he use ulness o
Mlea ning me hodology in imp o ing he eaching and lea ning p ocesses o uni e si y s uden s.
F om an exhaus i e sea ch in WOS and Scopus, we selec ed s udies ha would p o ide answe s o he
h ee es ablished esea ch ques ions. The conclusions ob ained in his pape in ela ion o he p oposed
ques ions a e se ou below.
•Q1.
Wha ac o s posi i ely in luence Mlea ning o imp o e uni e si y s uden s’ lea ning?
The s udies
included in he p esen pape ha e iden i ied a se o ac o s ha p omo e he success
o Mlea ning and jus i y why i is aking place wo ldwide. One o he mos in luen ial ac o s is
eache s’ echnological and pedagogical knowledge o mobile applica ions. Empowe ing s uden s
and in ol ing hem in hei own lea ning p ocess is key, as a way o encou age sel -lea ning
and inc ease mo i a ion. S imula ing he use o mobile de ices as a close communica ion ool
is ano he posi i e ac o in he use o Mlea ning. Also, he managemen o lea ning ma e ials
and spending ime wi h s uden s and eache s o ge used o conside ing Mlea ning an e ec i e
lea ning ool ha enables s uden s o collabo a e and o e s hem eedom o de elop hei
c ea i i y a e e y impo an . Ano he poin o conside is he ease o use o mobile de ices
shown by s uden s. Making s uden s see he bene i s o using hese lea ning ools and helping
hem o ge used o his new unde s anding o lea ning will make hem de elop sel -e icacy wi h
mobile echnology. Howe e , in as uc u e plays a c i ical ole, pa icula ly in con ex s wi h
disad an aged socio-economic condi ions. In his ega d, eache s ha e a leading ole in changing
ins uc ional p ocesses, bu i is no enough i he uni e si y in as uc u e does no suppo he
p omo ion o in e ac i e spaces o lea ning and Mlea ning.
•Q2.
Wha mobile applica ions a e used o imp o e s uden lea ning in highe educa ion?
Much o
he empi ical esea ch iden i ied has been de eloped a ound he de elopmen o one o mo e
mobile applica ions c ea ed o speci ic pedagogical pu poses. An example o his is he in e ac i e
mobile messaging applica ion (IMMAP), ocused on imp o ing communica ion in he class oom.
A s udy se in he so-called Mobile App p ojec has also been iden i ied, in which di e en
applica ions we e analyzed by explo ing hei pedagogical possibili ies. Applica ions o language
lea ning ha e also been iden i ied. The Supe Wo d King applica ion demons a ed i s use ulness
o lea ning English, pa icula ly in he acquisi ion o ocabula y.
O e all, he e was
unanimi y in
s a ing he bene i s o using mobile applica ions in eaching and lea ning p ocesses.
Al hough e y
di e seapplica ions ha ebeen ound, i hasbecome e iden ha applica ions ocusedon imp o ing
communica ion in he class oom and ou side is he mos widely used wo ldwide. O he cu icula
a eas such as science end o use a wide di e si y o mobile applica ions in li ing lab educa ion.
•Q3.
Wha is he eache s’ ole o embed Mlea ning in highe educa ion? The inclusion o Mlea ning
implies a ans o ma ion o eaching and lea ning p ocesses, hus a ec ing he ole o eache s in
ins uc ional p ocesses. Many s udies ha e shown ha ansmissi e oles o eache s a e ou da ed,
and hey need o be alphabe ized digi ally in o de o mee he equi emen s o he knowledge
socie y. Cu en ly, he e is a p edominan ole o c ea ing app op ia e condi ions o s uden s o
de elop he needed au onomy o build hei own eaching and lea ning p ocess. Assuming he
ole o guide and supe iso is key o edi ec , suppo , and counsel s uden s who need i in o de
o gi e hem he con idence o ake esponsibili y o hei own eaching and lea ning p ocesses.
In addi ion, he ans o ma ion o i ual lea ning en i onmen s and he use o echnological
ools o ces eache s no only o know echnology bu also o ha e he necessa y pedagogical
knowledge o use i o didac ic pu poses.
S eng hs and Limi a ions o his Sys ema ic Re iew
The na u e o he p esen ed pape has made possible o p o ide an o e iew om he li e a u e
on how Mlea ning s a egies and e-lea ning sys ems posi i ely impac s on s uden s’ achie emen ,